Cattle Market Pulse

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, October 31, 2022

1,790 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction report →

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $206.40/cwt -1.31 vs last sale · ≈ $995/hd at 482 lb · 30 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $179.93/cwt ≈ $1,107/hd at 615 lb · 24 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $199.70/cwt ≈ $873/hd at 437 lb · 23 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,790 535 2,834
Feeder cattle 458 136 295
Slaughter cattle 927 328 1,828
Replacement cattle 405 71 711

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend. Demand was mostly light to moderate for light offerings. Quality today was plain to average, but better compared to last weeks light offering. Market activity was mostly slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for heavy offerings. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady on breaking cows, boning and lean cows sold mostly 1.00-3.00 lower. Packers opted to start feeding very thin cows to hold for the upcoming holidays. Many sets of cows that would normally go directly to slaughter were purchased to feed for a few weeks. Feeding cows sold steady to 2.00 higher. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, steady undertones were noticed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, higher undertones were noticed.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
278 unweaned 278 2 260.00 $260.00 $723 —
356–387 unweaned 365 10 235.00–246.00 $242.50 $885 —
408–448 unweaned 444 21 221.00–225.00 $221.35 $983 —
470–490 unweaned 482 30 202.00–209.00 $206.40 $995 -1.31
513 unweaned 513 5 195.00 $195.00 $1,000 -2.50
552–597 unweaned 583 18 189.00–191.00 $190.34 $1,110 —
603–623 unweaned 615 24 175.00–186.00 $179.93 $1,107 —
697 unweaned 697 3 169.00 $169.00 $1,178 —
815–838 827 4 172.00–173.00 $172.49 $1,426 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 unweaned 355 3 245.00 $245.00 $870 —
435 unweaned 435 1 217.50 $217.50 $946 +3.50
490 unweaned 490 4 199.00 $199.00 $975 —
530 unweaned 530 1 191.00 $191.00 $1,012 +5.00
550 unweaned 550 1 186.00 $186.00 $1,023 —
710 710 5 169.00 $169.00 $1,200 -4.00
765 765 1 176.00 $176.00 $1,346 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
384 unweaned 384 7 209.00 $209.00 $803 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
263 unweaned 263 2 230.00 $230.00 $605 —
312 unweaned 312 3 230.00 $230.00 $718 —
354–365 unweaned 359 17 218.00–223.00 $220.90 $793 —
434–438 unweaned 437 23 195.00–201.00 $199.70 $873 —
456–491 unweaned 469 11 180.00–183.00 $181.86 $853 —
550–583 unweaned 577 16 161.00–167.00 $162.07 $935 —
603–635 unweaned 618 13 157.00–161.00 $159.10 $983 -1.90
740 unweaned 740 4 156.00 $156.00 $1,154 —
790 790 1 166.50 $166.50 $1,315 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 unweaned 405 1 185.00 $185.00 $749 +5.00
538 unweaned 538 3 163.00 $163.00 $877 —
573–590 unweaned 585 9 154.00–160.00 $157.57 $922 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
667 667 6 164.00 $164.00 $1,094 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
458–478 unweaned 470 5 150.00–157.00 $154.27 $725 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 unweaned 380 1 205.00 $205.00 $779 —
418 unweaned 418 3 208.00 $208.00 $869 —
467 unweaned 467 3 198.00 $198.00 $925 —
530 unweaned 530 1 180.00 $180.00 $954 —
663 unweaned 663 4 155.00 $155.00 $1,028 —
930 930 2 119.00 $119.00 $1,107 —
960 960 1 118.00 $118.00 $1,133 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1142 1142 3 110.00 $110.00 $1,256 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
910 910 85-90% 1 40.00 $40.00 $364 —
900–980 940 85-90% 2 41.00–53.00 $47.26 $444 —
1060–1335 1197 85-90% 16 49.00–58.00 $52.87 $633 -13.03
1055–1340 1198 85-90% 64 51.50–63.00 $57.29 $686 -8.61
1190–1370 1239 85-90% 6 61.00–64.00 $62.81 $778 —
1200–1400 1254 85-90% 5 44.00–45.00 $44.19 $554 -18.26
1107–1309 1259 85-90% 109 64.00–73.00 $67.09 $845 +4.64
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1330–1360 1354 80-85% 5 62.00 $62.00 $839 -4.55
1320–1545 1370 80-85% 46 79.50–84.00 $80.94 $1,109 +14.39
1225–1510 1376 80-85% 33 70.00–79.50 $73.64 $1,013 +7.09
1310–1520 1376 80-85% 16 54.00–64.00 $59.04 $812 -7.51
1360–1515 1420 80-85% 4 73.50–76.00 $74.17 $1,053 -6.83
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1453 1453 75-80% 2 78.50 $78.50 $1,141 —
1500–1865 1641 75-80% 7 74.50–77.50 $76.74 $1,259 —
1580–1840 1710 75-80% 2 79.50–80.00 $79.73 $1,363 +8.73
1780–1850 1815 75-80% 2 85.00–87.50 $86.27 $1,566 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305–1385 1329 6 74.00–82.00 $79.96 $1,063 —
1325–1740 1536 8 71.00–87.00 $82.25 $1,263 —
1585–1898 1794 3 91.50–92.00 $91.65 $1,644 —
1758–1980 1905 8 90.50–97.00 $93.53 $1,782 —
1650–2310 1984 8 98.50–103.00 $100.13 $1,987 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
838–1410 968 (<2 yrs)Open 33 86.00–130.00 $116.61 $1,129
945–1144 1075 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 38 60.00–105.00 $93.82 $1,009
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
750–1035 906 (<2 yrs)Open 7 92.00–115.00 $104.10 $943
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
958 958 (<2 yrs)Open 1 101.00 $101.00

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1035–1095 1055 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 13 1,275.00–1,375.00 $1,321.08
1263 1263 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 9 1,275.00 $1,275.00
1320 1320 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 42 1,085.00 $1,085.00
1328 1328 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,210.00 $1,210.00
1366 1366 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 17 1,025.00 $1,025.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1210–1311 1269 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 16 75.50–1,000.00 $185.69 $2,356
1287 1287 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 20 73.00 $73.00 $940
1310–1348 1340 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 25 74.50–77.00 $76.51 $1,025
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1041 1041 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 5 1,200.00 $1,200.00
1213 1213 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 7 1,135.00 $1,135.00
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1228 1228 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 8 76.00 $76.00 $933

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Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.